My Nutrition Philosophy

Today I’ve got a fun-ish sort of post for you about my non-extreme nutrition philosophy. In the last year, I’ve really come into my own in developing my personal philosophy towards food and nutrition that I wholeheartedly believe in and use with clients. If you find yourself struggling with your relationship with food, I’d urge you to start here.

I’m not an extreme dietitian.

There, I said it.

If you’re a regular reader, you’re probably not shocked by that. But, non-blog readers, and new people and clients are still shocked when they realize I don’t tell them not to eat foods. I don’t tell them that all they can eat moving forward is fruits, veggies and protein. And I definitely don’t tell them to let external numbers guide their desire for eating or need for nourishment. As a matter of fact, I don’t like to use a lot of “don’ts” in sessions. Instead, we focus on what you can do, things you can eat and include, and why it’s important to prioritize yourself. We talk a lot about nourishing your body in many different ways.

Rather than focusing on eating from specific food groups, we talk about the differences between each and how they balance together. And in some instances, when you may want to prioritize one over the other.

For example, finishing up a hard workout or long run? Get carbohydrates and protein. Fiber and fat are less important during this time because they blunt the effects of glucose in your bloodstream. After a workout, you want your muscles to get fuel. Or, what if you’re hungry now, but you have a group dinner in an hour? In this instance, it may make sense to have a simple carbohydrate for a snack that can nourish you now, but still leave you hungry for your next scheduled eating.

Maybe you’ve been told to eat whole grains under all circumstances because they are “healthier” and have more fiber. But, when we’re discussing food flexibility and people honestly like the taste of white rice better, I say go for it. Sometimes, I think the way we stress about food choices and fear certain foods can actually be more detrimental to our health than the actual food choices themselves.

I’m not going to tell you that you have to do one thing to lose weight.

I’m not going to tell you to cut out processed foods, desserts, or alcohol, because you don’t have to do those things to be healthy. Cutting things out you enjoy is called deprivation doesn’t end well, and that’s a story that .

If you struggle with the idea of avoiding anything “bad” or processed or not organic, we’ll look at some research and talk about it. We talk about food flexibility, and how choosing a salad isn’t superior to choosing a cheeseburger.

Every single one of you is so different. Maybe the salad is a better choice if you’ve gone a few days without veggies. You know you need a push of fiber for that digestion. Self care in that instance might mean getting the salad because you know your body needs the nutrients. Maybe your iron is low and you’re feeling fatigued. Or, you’ve had a tough week of exercise and feel short on protein. Maybe the burger is what you want in that moment. Perhaps you just want to get to the point where you don’t even think twice about what you want, you trust yourself enough to just order what your body needs in that moment. Many of my clients have been there, but we can change.

If you look at it through this lens, no one choice is superior – each is different and individual for YOU. Maybe you just want a comforting cheeseburger and fries because it’s been one of those weeks and you can’t stand to look at veggies anymore. GET THE CHEESEBURGER. Also, this graphic from Kylie is fantastic about eating the cookie vs. not eating the cookie.

I won’t tell you to cut out one food or food group, or to start over every Monday.

I won’t tell you to exercise for an hour every day to be healthy.

And, I definitely I won’t tell you to eat under x many calories per day.

Because all of these lifestyles that we think will bring us health, won’t.

Health is not deprivation. Health is not feelings of guilt around food.

I Will…

Take the time to learn your health history, habits, likes, dislikes, stressors and motivators. We talk about movement you enjoy and that is maintainable. Maybe that’s more, maybe that’s less than it is now.

If you’re a runner, we will talk about fueling enough for exercise, and see if we can find what fueling system works best for you.

We talk about your goals and how to get there. I’m big on finding more positive role models or influences for my clients.

Not all dietitians are going to cut your calories. We are trained to treat you as an individual and meet you where you are. If you are looking for assistance in your health journey, I am taking new clients through the end of the year.

Has there been one thing you’ve done or changed this year to better your health? Personally, I’ve put more of a focus on sleep! Less screen time in the hours before bed has been MAGICAL.

About Sarah S

Hi! I'm Sarah and I live in Charlotte, NC. I'm a Registered Dietitian with my Master's in Public Health. I'm a marathoner, and love to talk about nutrition, running and healthy recipes. I hope you enjoy BLT!

I love that a dietitian is saying that it’s not about cutting things out of your diet to be healthy! It’s way more important to enjoy life than not have a piece of cake and feel guilty on your birthday.
One thing I’ve done this past year is get back into running! It’s been amazing and I’ve lost some fat around my middle which wasn’t the main goal but a nice effect 🙂

“…we’ll look at some research and talk about it.” This is always most helpful to me. It can be so easy to create “facts” and “stories” in our brains about why we should/shouldn’t eat something. But anytime I’ve had a dietician actually go to the books, and discuss the TRUTHS behind these “facts” I’ve learned, it’s been so much easier to battle those restrictive thoughts.

One thing I’ve noticed – and what helps tremendously with healthy eating – is that I physically feel better when I eat healthy. That’s just a fact and it makes it easier to plan for healthy foods. BUT, I am also a big believer in giving into cravings… because if you deprive yourself all the time, food becomes punishment and that is never a good relationship to have with food.
Balance is everything.

Honestly, the world needs more dietitians like you, Kylie, Robyn and the others. The times I’ve worked with dietitians, they weren’t necessarily unsympathetic but trying to apply a certain standard protocol that didn’t suit me and in one case even made me feel sweets were bad. Stupid. And I was supposed to develop a healthier relationship with food as well as gain weight. I don’t want to imagine what these people told clients who wanted to loose weight …

Your blog is so relatable and I certainly knew your nutrition strategy without your specifically stating it. It simply comes through 🙂 One thing I’ve done to help my health is not worry about “too much” of anything. If my body wants it, then there’s a reason:-)

This is WHY I hands down love your blog so so so so much. Health is not deprivation or guilt around food. And you never ever preach that through your example. I really love that you eat ice cream and salads and pizza and sandwiches and basically anything. I like that you don’t hold down rules for your clients, but you are more about the do’s than the don’ts. And I really appreciate that you talk way more about nutrients, because as someone who has struggled with obsessively calorie counting, your blog never makes me want to obsess over calories. Thank you Sarah!

LOVE this!! 🙂 I agree wholeheartedly. While I choose not to eat meat for personal/ethical reasons, I don’t say “no” to any certain food groups. I find that when I eat this way, it actually causes me to eat healthier and feel better overall.

I love your food and nutrition philosophy and think mine is very similar! Honestly always reading your blog makes me wish I worked in food and nutrition to help people make choices for themselves as their is no ‘one size fits all’ when it comes to nutrition.

It seems like you are a positive role model for health and wellness. If it’s worth anything, I went back to school for nutrition after being in my career for 4 years because I was so drawn to it 😉 Always a possibility. Totally agree with you about there not being once size fits all!

I really, really love your nutrition philosophy, Sarah! I’ve gone through a journey of my own to establish my “nutrition philosophy” for myself and man, does it feel good to have so much freedom around food and to focus on all of the things I CAN eat rather than following food rules!

“The way we stress about food choices and fear certain foods can actually be more detrimental to our health than the actual food choices themselves.” SO RETWEETING THAT! Love this post, and it’s so wonderful that dietitians like you are changing the game. Thank you for what you do <3

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Hi, I'm Sarah!

A Registered Dietitian, runner, and healthy recipe creator. I love to talk about running, nutrition and eating ENOUGH. I'm a big fan of listening to your body and work on Intuitive Eating with my clients. Want to learn more? Work with me